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  Our Lady of Guadalupe [Wikipedia; photo in public domain] Today the Church celebrates Our Lady of Guadalupe. In most countries it is an optional memorial. Here in the Diocese of Meath in Ireland today is the Feast of St Finnian, the patron saint of the diocese and so Our Lady of Guadalupe isn't celebrated liturgically at all. Under that title Our Lady is a secondary patron of the Philippines, since the country was originally part of the Archdiocese of Mexico. The Daily Meditation published in  Magnificat  and online by  Aleteia  today is by the Servant of God  Luis María Martínez who died in 1956 when he was Archbishop of Mexico. Here is the first part of it. The Incomparable Love of Our Lady of Guadalupe Do we remember the first word that the Blessed Virgin pronounced on the summit of the Tepeyac? It was a word of love, a word of incomparable predilection: “My son Juan Diego, whom I love tenderly as a delicate little one.” Continue at Bangor to Bobbio .

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I'll start with something that should be flamingly obvious. Murder is a bad idea and I shouldn't do it. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2268-2269) By murder, I mean deliberately killing an innocent person. Which is what someone who apparently expressed "ill will" against corporate America has been charged with. This isn't what I'll be talking about in my 'Saturday' post. But an insurance executive from Minnesota getting killed is still international news, and the situation touches on points I think are important. Some expert said the way folks are reacting is "deeply concerning". More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (The killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has been praised. American healthcare has problems, but I see the killing and praise as bad ideas.)

Fr Aminiasi Ravuwai Today we Columbans received this email from our Superior General Fr Andrei Paz: With a heavy heart, I write to request your prayers for our dear brother, Fr Aminiasi Ravuwai. Recently, Amini has been hospitalized in Lima, and after undergoing a series of tests, it has been confirmed that he has an inoperable tumor in his pancreas. He is experiencing significant pain, which has left him unable to travel for medical treatment outside of Peru. This news has deeply affected him and all of us who care for him. In this difficult time, prayers are needed for Amini’s strength and peace, as well as for the grace to face the challenges ahead. I also ask for prayers for the Columbans in the Region of South America and for his family, who are dealing with this difficult news. The Columbans in Lima are deeply moved by his suffering, and his family is grappling with the emotional weight of this situation. Amini’s loved ones, both near and far, are struggling with the uncertainty ...

 Today's question to ponder. What would you have said? CLICK HERE

    I finally got to see "Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin." I have been looking forward to its release for awhile now. I was not disappointed.  Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran Pastor from the "Confessing Church" who realized before most people in the church that Hitler was not someone to be followed. He was strong in his defiance of Hitler and risked his own life to stand against him. He really makes you wonder if you would even recognize a bad leader; would you be among those courageously speaking out, or would you follow a maniacal controller? Would you even realize you were being duped? Too many people just did not see it until it was too late. Bonhoeffer became unafraid of the consequences of standing up for the good of his country and people. Forgoing his personal safety, he courageously ran towards what he needed to do.  God, he felt, would be with him as he pursued a path against evil. This all reminds me of the story about the frog sitting in a pot of...

        As we begin to settle into Advent (the four weeks before Christmas) and the beginning of the new liturgical year, let us make a commitment to center our lives around the church seasons, rather than the season of commerce. Advent is the perfect time to teach your children the importance of slowing down and focusing on something (someone) important.  Advent recalls the coming of Jesus, through Mary; his presence today in the Eucharist; and it raises our awareness of the coming of Jesus at the end of time. We love this time of year. We set out our Advent candle wreath on the dining room table and light it, centering ourselves in song, prayer and scripture. The wreath is our constant reminder that this is no ordinary time of year. Jesus is the Light of the World, penetrating the darkness. We look forward to celebrating the Christmas Season, which begins on December 25th. One thing you will notice as you take up centering your life around the Ch...

St John the Baptist Preaching Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland) Readings   (English Standard Version; England & Wales, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 3:1-6  (English Standard Version Anglicised: India, England & Wales, Scotland) In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the w...

I can't claim Abraham as an ancestor. My ancestors very likely hadn't even heard of Abraham and Isaac until missionaries arrived, and I've mentioned that before. I have, however, learned a bit about our Lord's family history. That brings me to the Elijah cup my wife and I bought, some years back. Make that decades. My wife and I got it while in Minnesota's Twin Cities, for a brother-in-law's wedding, which puts it in the 1990s. Elijah's Cup in Context "Remember This Day...." Moses, Pharaoh — — The Late Bronze Age Collapse, George Washington, and Me Overheard While Getting Our Elijah's Cup Taking Traditions Seriously (More at A Catholic Citizen in America .) (How and why the Passover Seder began, What I think about Moses, academic fashions, and buying either a properly-prepared item or a cheap imitation.) (I know: this topic is related to Lent, not Advent. But it's what I came up with this week.)

      In Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "The Cost of Discipleship," he writes about sorrow as he reflects on the Beatitudes. He says that disciples do not need to go out of their way "to look for suffering . . ." Disciples, "simply bear the suffering which comes their way as they try to follow Jesus Christ, and bear it for "his" sake." Bonhoeffer says that "Sorrow cannot tire them [disciples] or wear them down, it cannot embitter them or cause them to break down under the strain; far from it, for they bear their sorrow in the strength of him who bears them up, who bore the whole suffering of the world upon the cross." For anyone who has grown tired of their physical pain, mental stress or exhaustion, it really isn't a very far walk to "breaking down under the strain." Many people, I think, are right on the edge. If we are being honest, we just want easy, don't we? Give us peace. Let us be free from all of the st...

Get-togethers, family and community, are part of the holiday season. Take Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, for example. Thousands of folks, maybe a million or more, turned out Thursday morning, 1 standing in a cold New York City rain, cheering this celebration of consumerism. I could kvetch about folks buying stuff they don't actually need, the rampant waste of helium, or Snoopy being neither at the parade's head nor at Santa's side. But I won't. Fact is, I enjoyed an online broadcast — or is that stream? — of the parade. Watching the parade has become part of my holiday season routine. Instead, I'll talk about another holiday tradition I've enjoyed: family Christmas gatherings at the home of Aunt Jule and Uncle George. They lived, along with some of the rest of the family, in Grand Forks, North Dakota: about a two hour drive north from Moorhead, Minnesota, where I grew up. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Sharing memories of an annual family ...

Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] . And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves . . .  (Luke 21:25; today’s gospel). We begin Year C, which highlights St Luke's Gospel. From this weekend the Church in England & Wales and in Scotland will be using a new lectionary based on the English Standard Version of the Bible. Readings   (English Standard Version: England & Wales, Scotland) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 21:25-28, 34-36  (English Standard Version Anglicised) Jesus said to his disciples: 'There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves,   people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is c...

Wizard of Id's Spook and Turnkey made a good point last Sunday. Gratitude is an option, even when life's bowl of cherries seems filled with pits.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Being grateful is a decision: one that makes sense, even when it is not easy.)

    Several years ago, I saw this young lady walking around our church campus with a man about her age (she was 18.) I introduced myself and started a conversation with the two of them. Margaret asked me if we could talk, without him around, so I invited her into my office. She was from out-of-state, up here in Michigan for a job.  The guy wasn't so much a real boyfriend as someone she was traveling with for work, but you got the sense she felt kind of stuck. I won't go into her whole story, but she clearly was interested in growing in her faith. I toured the church with them and she asked for one of our free rosaries. You could tell she had a deep desire to learn more about God and how to turn to him. I never learned her last name and know that I will never have contact with her again, since I am no longer at that parish.  It was just a chance encounter, designed by God. I still pray for her. I pray that she still has a light in her for seeking God. Y...

"Vatican to consider classifying 'spiritual abuse' as a new Catholic crime" was in my Google News feed this morning.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Pope Francis wants folks in the Dicastery for Legislative Texts to review rules dealing with folks who misuse alleged supernatural experiences.)

I'm taking A Catholic Citizen in America in a different direction, at least for a while. I'll still post something each Saturday, but will be focusing on what I call 'family stories'. It's not that I've lost interest in science, history, and all that. When there's something more-than-usually exciting going on, I'll write about that. But mostly, I'll be sharing memories and thoughts of a distinctly less nerdy sort. I've got a few reasons for this. Why I'm Doing What I'm Doing: Converting Memories to Writing Getting Started: Cats, Homes, and an Incendiary Stove Racing Into a South Wind Another Memory, and Distractions More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Reminiscences: cats, homes, and an incendiary stove.)

From  The Gospel of John  (2003)  Directed by Philip Saville.  [John 18:33-37, today's Gospel] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, [England & Wales], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   John 18:33-37  (English Standard Version Anglicised: India) Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?”     Jesus answered,  “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?”   Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?”   Jesus answered,  “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”   Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered,  “You say that I am a king. For thi...

  Sometimes in life we have to face unwanted changes (i.e., losing a job, friendship, suffering, elections, etc.) that can be very hard to accept. I came across this Dr. Seuss quote that I think is a good approach to moving forward when we find ourselves devastated by life. Notice that the key to this quote has to do with what our response. Will you cry (sometimes we need to for a time) or will you smile (this has to do with adjusting our perspective.) Even in suffering and loss we can find our way to gratitude, because often through these we grow. These can help us grow in appreciation for others and what they are going through, prompting us to have greater compassion.  Suffering and loss can also help us grow spiritually as we offer ourselves for the benefit of others. They can help us mature overall. As we unite ourselves to the cross of Jesus, his suffering and sacrifice, we connect with him in a very deep way. Let us find a way to smile at this and not miss ...

...I could take many routes, talking about what that bunch of crazy college kids did yesterday (October 20, 2024) in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada. Taking my cue from Sixties sensibilities that I still retain — to an extent — I could ponder the perils which their launch posed to the fragile desert biome. Or I could complain that they didn't focus on some sorta-now, sorta-wow, social protest. Instead.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A 79 second YouTube video of the successful University of Southern California rocket launch of October 20, 2024. Plus a news excerpt and my reaction.)

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I've been watching NASASpaceflight's YouTube channel's coverage of the SpaceX Starship sixth test flight. Maybe they don't have the polish of old-school broadcast media, but I thoroughly enjoy what they do. That's partly because they're frankly nerdish. And partly because they actually know what they're talking about. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Watching the SpaceX Starship test flight, November 19, 2024. Why I think it matters, and how I see space exploration.)

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Sooner or later, I figure someone will develop a spaceplane that takes off from places like Tampa International Airport, carries passengers and cargo to low Earth orbit, and flies back: either to the airport it came from, or the next stop in its flight schedule. It might be a next-generation version of Dawn Aerospace's Aurora, or an advanced Radian Aerospace model. But it won't be Reaction Engines Limited's Skylon. Developing their two-mode SABRE rocket engine ended up costing too much and taking too long. I'll take a quick look at Skylon. After that, I'll take a longer look at Seattle-based Radian Aerospace's PFV01 spaceplane. PFV01, a prototype of Radian's Aurora spaceplane, is the one that's been making test flights near Abu Dhabi. Closing the Book on Skylon Radian Aerospace PFV01: Another Step Test Flights Living With and Working Around Rules Rocket Sled — — To the Stars More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Reaction Engines Ltd. de...

The Archangel Michael Unknown Italian Goldsmith [ Web Gallery of Art ] At that time shall arise  Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time  (Daniel 12:1. First Reading).  Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 13:24-32  (English Standard Version, Anglicised)    Jesus said to his disciples: “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,   and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.   And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.   And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the fou...

    Peanuts                                                                                                                                               The other day, a bus driver, brought up (on the famous "Uncensored group" online), the topic of children smelling bad from weed when ...